10 Restaurant Chains That Serve the Best Shrimp Tacos
The taco is, by all accounts, the perfect hand-held food. Once you master the proper technique of eating a taco, your culinary world is open to an endless array of proteins and toppings to fill your flour or corn tortilla. While the standard taco at restaurant chains includes ground beef or chicken, you may also come across carnitas, carne asada, or, for the seafood fans, fish and shrimp.
It's the shrimp taco that's getting the spotlight today, as it can be prepared in a number of ways. Shrimp tacos, which offer a lighter, healthier alternative to the classic ground beef version, can come grilled, blackened, or fried and tossed in a wide array of sauces and marinades. The versatility of shrimp means you'll run across all kinds of shrimp tacos at chains across America.
Whether you're sitting down at a restaurant or need a quick fix at a fast-food chain, there is no shortage of great shrimp taco options.
Yard House
Baja Shrimp Taco (Per Order)
Calories: 320
Fat: 20 g (Saturated Fat: 3.5 g)
Sodium: 880 mg
Carbs: 25 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 10 g
There is a little bit of everything on the menu at Yard House, from salads to pizzas to burgers and full-plated meals. On the lighter side, there are the Baja shrimp tacos served with crushed avocado, cabbage, Sriracha aïoli, salsa roja, and cilantro. Customers can convert any taco, including the Baja shrimp, into a "vampire taco" by ordering it with a cheese-crusted tortilla. If that's not enough, Yard House also offers a blackened shrimp taco with the same toppings on the menu.
Bonefish Grill
Calories: 410
Fat: 23 g (Saturated Fat: 9 g)
Sodium: 1,640 mg
Carbs: 9 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 40 g
One of the menu specialties at Bonefish Grill is its Bang Bang Shrimp, featuring crispy shrimp tossed in the house's signature creamy and spicy sauce. The same style of shrimp appears a few times throughout the menu, including as a handheld meal: Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos. It comes topped with greens, tomatoes, and sour cream and is served with a side of french fries. It's a great lunch or light dinner option filled with flavor.
Baja Fresh
Grilled Shrimp Taco (Per Order)
Calories: 180
Fat: 7 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 690 mg
Carbs: 21 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 10 g
Baja Fresh is known for serving high-quality Mexican cuisine in a fast-food setting. The menu is filled with items that won't weigh you down, like the grilled shrimp taco. It's topped with sliced avocado, shredded cabbage, Baja Fresh's pico de gallo, and avocado salsa. Wrapped in corn tortillas, it's a light, low-calorie meal idea with plenty of flavor, perfect for when those seafood cravings kick in.
On the Border
Calories: 470
Fat: 27 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
Sodium: 2,600 mg
Carbs: 44 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 25 g
Tex-Mex restaurant chain On the Border offers a unique spin on the traditional shrimp taco. Its honey chipotle shrimp tacos give an extra boost of flavor as they're made with grilled shrimp tossed in a honey chipotle sauce for that perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The dish also doubles down on the heat with a spicy avocado ranch, cilantro, and shredded cabbage. It comes served with a side of rice and beans.
Chuy's
Baja Shrimp Tacos (Per Order)
Calories: 600
Casual Mexican restaurant chain Chuy's has all the usual suspects on the menu, including Baja shrimp tacos. Its tacos start with flour tortillas filled with lightly battered and fried shrimp, then cilantro, cabbage, pico de gallo, and a creamy jalapeño sauce. Customers can enjoy a side serving of Mexican rice and refried beans along with the tacos. If that jalapeño sauce is too spicy, don't worry—Chuy's offers a variety of sauces ranging from a mild tomatillo to a hot hatch green chile, all available to add to any entrée.
Del Taco
Crispy Jumbo Shrimp Tacos (Per Order)
Calories: 305
Fat: 18 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g)
Sodium: 688 mg
Carbs: 27 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 8 g
Leave it to Del Taco to serve fan-favorite tacos available at the speed of a drive-through. This highly rated fast-food restaurant chain stands out for many reasons, including the crispy jumbo shrimp tacos. These shrimp tacos come with Del Taco's savory secret sauce, crunchy shredded cabbage, and pico de gallo, all wrapped in flour tortillas. According to Del Taco's website, the shrimp tacos may not be around forever, so be sure to order them while the ordering's good.
Long John Silver's
Baja Grilled Shrimp Tacos (Per Order)
Calories: 210
Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 773 mg
Carbs: 21 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 12 g
With a menu filled with seafood favorites, it should be no surprise that Long John Silver's has a stake in the shrimp taco market. Specifically, its menu includes Baja grilled shrimp tacos, great for when you need a break from the deep-fried seafood that often infiltrates fast-food establishments. The shrimp tacos at Long John Silver's are made with freshly grilled shrimp and are part of its HOOK 2 Taco series, complete with your choice of sauce.
El Pollo Loco
Baja Shrimp Taco (Per Order)
Calories: 320
Fat: 21 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)
Sodium: 820 mg
Carbs: 20 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 14 g
Chicken may be the specialty at El Pollo Loco, but customers can find a variety of proteins to include in their tacos or burritos. The chain's commitment to fresh, high-quality ingredients extends to the Baja shrimp taco, made with salsa fresca, avocado, lettuce, Jack cheese, and a creamy cilantro dressing. It's all wrapped in a 6-inch flour tortilla, perfect as a handheld snack that won't bog you down.
Qdoba
Calories: 30
Fat: 1 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 410 mg
Carbs: 0 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 6 g
Customers are empowered to choose their own taco journey at Qdoba. The fast-casual Mexican chain offers customizable tacos with protein, salsa, sauces, and toppings. Not only that, but Qdoba also offers the rare option of adding guacamole and queso at no extra cost. That makes the limted-time citrus lime shrimp tacos all the more enticing, with shrimp freshly sautéed each day in-house. This variety of shrimp won't be around forever, so make sure to try these tacos while they appear on the menu.
Torchy's Tacos
Calories: 433
Fat: 30 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
Sodium: 740 mg
Carbs: 34 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 12 g
There are Torchy's Tacos locations across the United States, though depending on where you live, the taco chain may be a discovery. The next time you visit Torchy's you may want to try its Baja shrimp taco. It's made with fried shrimp, cooked cabbage slaw, pickled onions and jalapeños, cotija cheese, and chipotle sauce, all on a corn tortilla. It's filled with ingredients you don't see daily on your standard taco, so it will be worth remembering. Pair it with a side of street corn and a signature Torchy's Tini margarita to make a classic meal combo.